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POST/v1/comments"platform": "zhihu"

Zhihu Comments API

The comments under one answer.

Get the comments under any public Zhihu answer and get back text, likes, reply count and time, as JSON over HTTP or from your AI client over MCP. A call to the Zhihu Comments API costs 2 credits ($0.004 to $0.0067 depending on the pack), failed calls are free, and the response has the same format as every other call.

Start for freeSign in to run
100 credits on sign-up, no card needed
2 creditsper call, ≈ $0.004–$0.0067
Usually 10 itemsup to 20 per page, one page per call
868 Bsample response, 1 item

Last updated:

Need 100 items? Send limit: 100 and one call pages for you: at most 10 pages, 20 credits. It stops once it has them or the list ends; pages it does not use are not charged, and neither are pages that fail. Reading 1,000 items comes to about 200 credits, about $0.67.

Daily watch: tell your AI “watch this daily” and this call runs by itself every day, sending only what is new: at most 62 credits a month, about $0.21. How to set it up

What you get from the Zhihu Comments API.
From a recorded answer.

A recorded call returned 10 items; here is the first, field by field. Names and text are removed from the sample; the numbers are as recorded.

Lighter for your AI: the same recorded data (10 items) is about 11,344 tokens as the platform's raw JSON and about 1,409 as this interface returns it, 87% fewer (measured 2026-11-06). How it was measured

FieldIn the recorded answer
urlnull: Zhihu cannot give it
textremoved from the sample
published_at2022-05-31T05:02:45.000Z
author.labelanonymous_1
metrics.likes97
reply_count24
content_idnull: Zhihu cannot give it
parent_idnull
root_idnull

2 credits a call (≈ $0.004–$0.0067): about 1,500 calls for $10.

Easier with a ready-made tool: Comment analysis. The topics in their comments and how big each is, plus questions, buying intent and complaints.

Zhihu Comments API: request and response

curl https://api.socialtoai.com/v1/comments \  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SOCIALTOAI_API_KEY" \  -H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)" \  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \  -d '{    "platform": "zhihu",    "id": "2509154330"  }'
import osimport uuidimport requestsresponse = requests.post(    "https://api.socialtoai.com/v1/comments",    headers={        "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['SOCIALTOAI_API_KEY']}",        # A new key for each request; the same one again retries it without paying twice.        "Idempotency-Key": str(uuid.uuid4()),    },    json={        "platform": "zhihu",        "id": "2509154330",    },)print(response.json())
# Connected over MCP? Ask in plain words.Read the comments under this Zhihu answer: 2509154330# Your AI calls the comments tool with:{  "platform": "zhihu",  "id": "2509154330"}
Change the requestThe code above follows.
value
Sign in to run2 creditsOpens in the Playground with these parameters after you sign in. It never runs by itself.
200 OK868 B2 credits
{  "platform": "zhihu",  "status": "ok",  "items": [    {      "platform": "zhihu",      "id": "…",      "ref": "…",      "approx": [],      "type": "comment",      "url": null,      "text": "…",      "published_at": "2022-05-31T05:02:45.000Z",      "author": {        "label": "anonymous_1"      },      "metrics": {        "likes": 97      },      "reply_count": 24,      "content_id": null,      "parent_id": null,      "root_id": null    }  ],  "unavailable": ["url", "content_id"],  "page": {    "has_more": true,    "cursor": "cur_…",    "cursor_expires_at": "2026-10-12T19:49:06.000Z"  },  "cost_credits": 2}
anonymous_1·
likes 97replies 24

Names and text were removed from the sample; the numbers are as recorded.

Sample data1 of the 10 items recorded

Zhihu Comments API parameters.
4 parameters, 2 required.

Send them as a JSON body with POST. Your key goes in the Authorization header, never in the URL.

NameTypeRequiredDefaultDescription
platformstringRequired—Always "zhihu" on this page.
idstringRequired—Answer ID, a string of digits
reply_ofstringOptional—When given, returns the replies under one comment (2 credits).
cursorstringOptional—Pass page.cursor from the last response to get the next page.

Where to get what you send.

id

Answer ID, a string of digits (e.g. 2509154330)

No other interface of the platform returns it: take it from the web page or link as described above.

Zhihu Comments API response fields.
What Zhihu cannot give is marked.

FieldTypeMeaning
items[].urlstringalways nullA link to the comment, where the platform has one.
items[].textstringThe comment itself.
items[].published_atstringWhen it was posted, ISO 8601 in UTC.
items[].author.labelstringAn anonymous label, stable within one response. Whoever wrote it is never named.
items[].metrics.likesintegerLikes.
items[].reply_countintegerHow many replies it has.
items[].content_idstringalways nullThe item the comment is under.
items[].parent_idstringThe comment it replies to directly; null for a top-level comment.
items[].root_idstringThe top-level comment its thread hangs under.
nullFields Zhihu cannot give

Read null as “Zhihu did not give this”, not as zero. These are always null on this call:

  • urlA link to the comment, where the platform has one.
  • content_idThe item the comment is under.
Other values of this call

Send the parameter and the call returns something else:

reply_ofthe replies under one comment2 credits

Compared with the Kuaishou Comments API, this call also gives reply count.

Every item also has platform, id, ref, approx and type; the response around the items is the same on every call. Response format

Zhihu Comments API: paging and billing.

One call returns a page of usually 10 items, up to 20 items. When page.has_more is true, send page.cursor back as cursor for the next page; each page costs 2 credits and a cursor works for 30 minutes.
A call that runs and finds nothing is a successful call: status is "empty", items is empty, and it costs 2 credits.
On this call Zhihu cannot tell a answer that does not exist from one with no data: both come back as empty, and both are charged.

5 calls per second per key, 20 after a purchase; going over is not charged. Rate limits

A failed call costs 0 credits and is never retried on its own. Error codes

Interface last tested: 2026-10-17. Each call reads from the platform, and fetched_at in the answer is when it was read. The same request sent again with the same key within 5 minutes is a replay (replayed: true): 0 credits, and the answer as first read.

Once connected over MCP, these questions use the Zhihu Comments API.

  1. Read the comments under this Zhihu answer: 2509154330
    comments {"platform":"zhihu","id":"2509154330"}
    2 credits

Give this to your AI.
Copy it into Claude or ChatGPT.

How to connect
Prompt
Use the SocialToAI MCP server (https://mcp.socialtoai.com/mcp) for this: Read the comments under this Zhihu answer: 2509154330Call the comments tool with {"platform":"zhihu","id":"2509154330"}. Needed: id.For many items pass limit (limit=100 is at most 10 pages) and one call pages for you; each page costs 2 credits and unused pages are not charged.Before you start, work out how many credits it will take in all and ask me; call it only after I agree.If SocialToAI is not connected yet, tell me how to connect it; never ask me to paste a key into the chat.Answer with a link to every item you used, and tell me how many credits it cost.

Paste it into a chat once SocialToAI is connected over MCP. There is no key in it: Claude and ChatGPT sign in, other clients send a key in a header.

These ready-made tools call it when they run.

brand-buzz
Brand buzz

How people feel about it on each platform, what comes up most, and the posts behind it

comment-insights
Comment analysis

The topics in their comments and how big each is, plus questions, buying intent and complaints

account-watch
Account snapshot

What each one posted lately, and which posts beat its usual numbers

creator-card
Creator profile

Their accounts on other platforms, the numbers on each, and how sure the match is

Work scenarios that use it.

china-market-research
Chinese market research

Your AI reads what Chinese consumers post on Xiaohongshu, Douyin, Weibo and other Chinese platforms, and answers in your language, with the posts it read and their links.

The same call on other platforms.

All platforms and prices
POST/v1/comments{ "platform": "zhihu", "id": "2509154330" }2 creditsper call
TikTok Comments API2 credits
Instagram Comments API2 credits
X (Twitter) Comments API2 credits
Reddit Comments API2 credits
YouTube Comments API2 credits
Facebook Comments API2 credits
LinkedIn APIno comments
Threads APIno comments
Telegram APIno comments
Pinterest APIno comments
Xiaohongshu (RedNote) Comments API12 credits
Douyin Comments API2 credits
Weibo Comments API2 credits
WeChat Articles Comments API12 credits
Bilibili Comments API2 credits
Kuaishou Comments API2 credits
WeChat Channels Comments API12 credits
Meta Ad Library APIno comments
Google Ads Transparency APIno comments
Change one word in the request: platform. The response keeps the same shape.

Read next.

Zhihu official API: access, prices and limits

What its own API allows, who can use it and what it costs, with sources.

Comments API, every platform

Which platforms give comments, how many a page, at what price.

Zhihu MCP server

Let your AI read Zhihu.

Zhihu Comments API: questions.
Short answers.

All Zhihu data APIs
Do I need a Zhihu account or Zhihu's own API access?
No. You only need a SocialToAI key. The call returns content and account information publicly visible on Zhihu; you never sign in to Zhihu or apply for anything there.
Can I get the replies under one comment?
Yes: send reply_of in the request. That call costs 2 credits.
What does one call cost in dollars?
2 credits: $0.0067 at 300 credits per dollar (purchases from $10), $0.004 at 500 per dollar (from $200). Credits never expire and there is no subscription. 100 free credits on sign-up, no card.
Am I charged when a call fails or finds nothing?
A failed call costs 0 credits and is never retried on its own. A call that runs and finds nothing is a successful call: status is "empty" and it costs 2 credits. This interface cannot tell a target that does not exist from one with no data, so both are charged as empty.
How much does one call return?
One call returns a page of usually 10 items, up to 20 items. When page.has_more is true, send page.cursor back as cursor for the next page; each page costs 2 credits and a cursor works for 30 minutes.
Is there a rate limit?
5 calls a second per key, 20 a second after your first purchase. A request over the limit is told how long to wait and is not charged.
How do I use it from Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor?
Yes. In Claude or ChatGPT, add the MCP address https://mcp.socialtoai.com/mcp as a custom connector, sign in with the code we email you and press Allow; there is no key to paste. In Claude Code, run one command, type /mcp, pick socialtoai and sign in; Codex and Cursor sign in too, with their steps on the connect page. Then ask in plain words and your AI calls comments for you.
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